Sunday, August 29, 2010

Two viral videos today in the Summer of Hate caused me to think some more about the IQ stratification in this country. In truth, the only thing they have in common is that I watched one right after the other.

First we have the grotesque, transparently manipulative commercial for Glenn Beckstock this weekend in D.C. I won’t even go into the reasons why watching this made me throw up a little in my mouth because the reasons are just so glaringly obvious to anyone with a decent education or even a rudimentary grasp of American history. Dare to press play and watch this for as long as you can stand it. This commercial, as dumb and as boring as it seems, functions as nothing short of a sophisticated mindrape of our most stupid and easily manipulated citizenry. I’m not overstating the case here. I’ll bet there are people who fucking cried when they watched this cynical, brain-damaged glorification of crazypants, megalomaniacal Beck (and not for the same reason I wanted to cry, either).

And then there is the bottom clip, of LA-based performer Prince Poppycock’s flamboyant appearance on America’s Got Talent. Poppycock’s beautifully costumed and choreographed run at Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody,” where he, as Piers Morgan puts it “outcamps Freddie Mercury” is a delight and a lot of fun to watch, but what’s fascinating here is to think about the overlap in the audiences of the Glenn Beck show and of America’s Got Talent.

WHAT did the teabagger types, who obviously make up at least some portion of that show’s audience, make of Poppycock moving into the semi-finals? Imagine all the homophobic lemon faces that were pulled in “Good Christian Homes” all across Amerikkka on Monday night!

It's amazing to me that the people who are able to appreciate and embrace an unusual performer like Prince Poppycock in a national talent show, can coexist with the type of “patriotic” idiots we’re going to see showing up for the Glenn Beck and Sarah Palin rally this weekend.

As you watch the news this weekend, ask yourself for how much longer will this be the case?